Blaine man 1st, Mounds View
woman 2nd overall in field of more than 225
runners
By HEATHER RULE Sun
Focus
With not a cloud in the sky and the
sun in their eyes, more than 400 runners pounded
the pavement on a warm July 4 morning for the
inaugural The Lakes 8K run in Blaine.
The run, beginning just
after 9 a.m., was a part of the community's 37th
annual Blazin' Blaine festival. A 4K walk and a
1/3 mile kids' run were also part of the holiday
event. The 8K run and 4K walk began at the same
time at East Lake Park. Participants made their
way around the Lakes Parkway and South Lake
Boulevard for a two-loop course for the 8K and
once around for the 4K before finishing back at
the park. The kids' run followed, along with an
awards ceremony for all events.
The event
was a fundraiser for the Alexandra House women's
shelter. The City of Blaine, the Blazin' Blaine
committee, the Twin Cities Triathlon Club and 11
builders from the Lakes community were all
sponsors for the race.
Blaine native Sam
Renneberg, 27, was the first 8K runner to reach
the finish line with a time of 26:52. Renneberg
said he enjoyed the run around the lakes mainly
because it was a flat course. He also felt good
about his top finish.
"It's always nice to
come in first," Renneberg said. "Races are always
fun. It's a great way to get a good workout
in."
The second overall and first female
finisher was Mounds View resident Amy Lyons, 21,
with a time of 28:10.
Another Blaine
finisher was Pam Rogers, 46, who resides in The
Lakes area. She clocked in at 45:54, but said she
just came out "to support the charity." Rogers
also said the course was pretty flat, "which is
nice."
Andover residents Beth Fugina, 19,
Blaze Fugina, 18, and Ben Hoegh, 18, all enjoyed
the run and said they would come back next year to
the event. Hoegh said that he might try and go for
the number one position next time.
"We're
going to win the race next year," Beth said, with
a laugh.
The Lakes area not only has
wonderful houses, but also beautiful scenery
complete with trees, landscaping and, of course,
the lakes. The area's surroundings make it a great
venue for a competitive run. Residents were very
supportive of holding the race in the area, race
coordinator Dan Hauck said.
A large turnout
surprised Hauck, who was only expecting about 200
people. Participants could pre-register online or
by mail, as well as on the day of the race. The
run and walk got under way about 20 minutes after
the scheduled start due to so many runners still
being registered after the allotted 7:30-8:30 a.m.
time slot.
"We weren't going to turn anyone
away," Hauck said. "We just had an amazing
turnout: that was great to see. It exceeded our
wildest expectations."
While the turnout
was good to see, volunteers were a little
overwhelmed. Hauck volunteered his time to help
organize the event. A few triathlon club members
came to help out, along with one person from the
Blaine Parks and Recreation Department. Hauck
enlisted the help of his wife and daughter and
other family members to volunteer their time for
the event. Hauck said he hopes that they can have
the help of more volunteers next year.
This
race marked the Blazin' Blaine festival's first
certified 8K run. A 5K race had been held at the
National Sports Center beginning and ending at the
soccer stadium for the past three years on July 4.
In contrast to The Lakes Parkway course, there was
nothing scenic about the previous course. This
resulted in a declining number of runners and only
75 participating last year.
Hauck is
"hoping to grow this race even bigger next year."
People want to make the race a bigger community
event complete with food and music in the
afternoon, Hauck said.
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